BE GREAT: Graduate program helps students succeed

At times, DaQuan Paige has doubted he'd ever make it all the way through high school. The 14-year-old, an eighth-grader at Page Middle School, had to repeat second grade and saw his grades slip last year as he battled a kidney disease. He even failed English for the final grading quarter.

DaQuan felt discouraged, but he had a major cheerleader: Gary Rippel, unit director for the Gloucester branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula. DaQuan is one of five students in the organization's BE GREAT: Graduate program, which targets middle school students at risk for dropping out of school or not graduating on time.

The four-year program pairs students with a mentor who, in partnership with their schools and parents, closely tracks their academic progress and meets with them regularly for homework assistance and encouragement. The effort is paying off with DaQuan, who is passing all his classes this year – and even reports an A for the first-quarter of English.

"Sometimes he thought I was too hard on him, but he figured out that's because I love him," Rippel says. "He's a really good boy. The kids in this program all are great kids, but sometimes overlooked a bit. With a little extra attention and guidance, they can do great things."

BE GREAT: Graduate, also running at six Boys & Girls Clubs in Newport News and one in Hampton, is one of the recipients of a grant from the Daily Press Holiday Fund. The annual fundraising drive, now in its 84th year, serves needy children and families of all cultures and faiths. Last year, the Holiday Fund collected a total of $116,600.

The grant will help offset costs for BE GREAT: Graduate, including staff time, educational supplies and recognition ceremonies for students who meet academic goals. Much of the funding for the Peninsula-based efforts comes from Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

To start the program, the Gloucester club had sixth-graders in the public school system fill out questionnaires to identify students at risk of failure for reasons such as previous poor grades, a history of drop-outs in their families or challenges at home.

Mentors then began monitoring targeted students daily and monthly, tracking their grades, homework, attendance and behavior and reporting back to their parents, some of whom don't have computer access. One day, Rippel spent seven hours in classes with his students. "I wanted to let them know how serious we were," he says.

Of the original five students in Gloucester, one has relocated out of the school district but four others – three boys and a girl – are doing well and in some cases have dramatically improved their grades, Rippel says. BE GREAT: Graduate will run for at least one more year, taking students through their first year of high school. Future plans will depend on grant money and research on success rates, Rippel says.

Either way, the Boys & Girls Clubs will still support the students through its other programs. Those include study halls, character development, volunteering and internship opportunities and help with college scholarships. The organization serves 5,400 kids annually in the region, ages 6 to 18.

DaQuan Paige, for one, now says he's glad Rippel pushes him. "It's been good, especially knowing people will help me on homework," he says. While he's not yet sure about career possibilities, he hopes to become a volunteer for Boys & Girls Clubs to mentor younger kids and play basketball with them.

Rippel would love to have him. "We tell him all the time that he's well worth the time and effort," Rippel says. "This is not a kid who should be down on himself. None of them should."

Alison Johnson is a freelance writer based in York County.

Daily Press Holiday Fund

The following groups receiving contributions from the Daily Press Holiday Fund serve citizens of the Middle Peninsula:

To contribute to the Daily Press Holiday Fund, charge your donation by phone at 247-4862, online at dailypress.com/holidayfund, or by mail by sending the completed mail-in donation form and your check made out to "PCFVA for DPHF" to Daily Press Holiday Fund—PCFVA, 11742 Jefferson Ave., Suite 350, Newport News, VA 23606. For every $20 donated, you will be automatically entered to win a 2013 Toyota Camry.